Posts Tagged ‘Joel Embiid’

June 29, 2016 · 4:25 PM ET

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — There’s no pressure on Brett Brown and Ben Simmons, all they have to do is oversee and inspire a basketball revival in a basketball-loving city.

No pressure. No pressure at all for the head coach and new face of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Well, there’s actually a ton of pressure on Brown and Simmons, the No. 1 overall pick in last week’s NBA Draft. But they know that, each of them having signed on for hoops renaissance engineering duties in the City of Brotherly Love. Whatever plan was in place before under Sam Hinkie has changed with the Colangelo‘s (father and boss man Jerry and son and GM Bryan) at the controls now. But make no mistake, there is a plan.

An abundance of young talent (Simmons, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric in particular) has to be molded into a team capable of climbing out of the Eastern Conference basement. And it’s Brown’s responsibility to guide these youngsters through the ups and downs of this process.

Everyone involved knows it’ll be a bumpy ride early on and there’s no guarantee this young core will remain intact long enough to make it to their first training camp together. But there’s a glimmer of hope now that, quite frankly was not there before Simmons became a very real possibility with that No. 1 pick.

We dig deep with Brown on the young man from Down Under charged with leading the hoops renaissance in hoops-mad Philly and much more on Episode 241 of The Hang Time Podcast.

The Boston Celtics have been pursuing a number of established veterans in the buildup to Thursday’s NBA draft, offering trade packages built around the No. 3 overall pick, according to league sources.

But sources told ESPN that the Celtics, to date, have been rebuffed in their efforts to assemble a sufficiently enticing deal to acquire any of these four prime targets: Chicago Bulls All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward and Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jabari Parker or Khris Middleton.

Who the Celtics like at No. 3, if they end up keeping the pick, has likewise emerged as one of the bigger mysteries of draft week, sources say.

The Bulls, sources say, continue to show little interest in dealing Butler to the Celtics, who previously tried to trade for him before the league’s annual deadline in February.

Sources say the Celtics are one of just a number of teams trying to convince Utah to surrender Hayward — Phoenix, which holds two lottery picks (No. 4 and 13) in Thursday’s draft, is another — but the Jazz have been telling interested teams that he is not available.

The same, sources say, goes for Parker and Middleton in Milwaukee, since the Bucks regard both of those young cornerstones, as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo, as untouchables.

The Warriors will get power forward Draymond Green back from suspension for Thursday’s Game 6, but they don’t expect to have starting center Andrew Bogut.

“Draymond does a little bit of everything: his playmaking, his rebounding, his communicating and his heart and soul. Obviously, we missed him big time,” Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson said. “… If Bogut is out Thursday, our bigs are just going to have to step up. They’ve been doing it all year.”

Bogut played only 7½ minutes in Monday’s Game 5 loss that trimmed the Warriors’ lead in the NBA Finals to 3-2. After jumping to block a layup attempt by Cleveland’s J.R. Smith in the third quarter, Bogut planted his left leg moments before Smith rolled into it and appeared to hyperextend the knee.

The Warriors’ 7-footer writhed in pain under the basket for two possession until there was finally a stop in play. His leg was immobilized as he was helped to the locker room, but teammates said he was putting weight on the leg later.

The initial diagnosis was a sprained knee, but results from Tuesday’s MRI exam had not been evaluated by all of the Warriors’ doctors by the time the team landed in Cleveland.

…

Worries about losing the team’s best rim-protector come on the heels of the Warriors’ worst defensive effort during the postseason. They allowed a playoff-high 53 percent shooting from the floor and yielded a combined 82 points to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.

Irving and James either scored or assisted on 97 of the Cavaliers’ points, including the team’s final 25 baskets. The last field goal that wasn’t directly produced by Irving or James was an Iman Shumpert layup with 5½ minutes left in the first half.

“To repeat a performance like this would definitely be tough, but whatever it takes to win, we’re willing to do,” Irving said.

The return of Green will help in squelching a sequel as the Warriors desperately missed his defensive communication and his ability to read proper switching and help defense situations. Irving and James shot 61.1 percent from the floor while Green was exiled from Oracle Arena on Monday. In Games 1-4, they shot 9-for-26 when he was the primary defender on either.

If Bogut is out or hobbled, the Warriors will need to get something out of Festus Ezeli, Anderson Varejao and/or Marreese Speights.

…

The Warriors also will be comfortable going small with Green returning. Their small-ball lineup has outscored Cleveland by 51 points with Green at center and has been outscored by 16 points without Green.

After a moment of dejection following the Warriors’ loss Monday, ESPN reported that Green, sitting in a luxury suite at the Coliseum, yelled: “Let’s go. I get a chance to play in another game.” It’s as if he were channeling the very message Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was giving in the locker room about 30 yards away.

“It’s the NBA Finals. You’ve got two great teams, and I kind of like our position,” Kerr said. “… We go back to Cleveland and tee it up again, but I like our position a lot better than theirs. …

“We’re in the same place we were last year: up 3-2 and heading back to Cleveland. If you told me this before the series, I would have taken it. We’re in a good spot.”

The status of injured Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut for Thursday’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals remains uncertain, but Bogut did travel Tuesday with the team to Cleveland, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that an official update on Bogut’s health, which had been expected Tuesday night, will most likely come Wednesday now.

Sources say that the Warriors, following a long travel day, continued into the night with their review of the data from an MRI exam on Bogut’s sprained left knee before the team’s departure to Ohio.

There was cautious optimism in the Warriors’ camp late Monday that Bogut did not suffer any structural damage following the hard hit he absorbed in a mid-air collision defending Cleveland guard J.R. Smith’s drive to the basket. But Bogut was seen walking very gingerly as he left the arena Monday night.

May 10, 2016 · 8:35 AM ET

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1: Green on Blazers: ‘Of course I think they’re done’ —Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry not only came back last night, he came back and delivered the greatest overtime scoring performance in NBA lore. His 17 points in the extra session buoyed the Warriors to a 132-125 win over Portland in which Curry finished with 40 points overall. But lost in that epic game was a stellar performance by Draymond Green (21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals) that put the Blazers in a 3-1 series hole. After the win, Green didn’t hold back on thinking this series — and Portland — was done for now, writes Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com:

Golden State All-Star forward Draymond Green did not mince words when asked about the Portland Trail Blazers’ chances in the aftermath of their Game 4 loss to the Warriors on Monday night.

After Golden State’s 132-125 overtime win, which gave the Warriors a 3-1 advantage in the Western Conference semifinals, Green was asked whether he thought the Blazers were done.

“Do I think they’re done? Of course I think they’re done,” he said.

“If I don’t think they’re done, I don’t know who else is going to think it,” he continued. “We’re going home with a 3-1 lead. It’s up to us to close it out. And I trust my teammates, I trust our team to come out ready to go and close this series out. Of course I think they’re done. It’s time for us to close the series. We did what we needed to do; we came on the road and got one win. We took care of home court. Now it’s time for us to do it again.”

…

Blazers star Damian Lillard said before Green’s remarks that they aren’t done fighting.

“We want to go out there and make sure they respect us, make sure they understand it’s not going to be what everybody thinks it’s going to be,” Lillard said. “It’s not going to be no rolling over, it’s not going to be no out here being scared, it’s not going to be any of that.”

Green also was asked about a prediction of victory for Monday night’s game.

“I didn’t predict that. I told you we were going to win,” he said.

He said he wasn’t worried about giving the Blazers extra motivation.

“I wanted to give them bulletin-board material,” he said.

…

“It wasn’t no disrespect to [the Blazers],” he said. “It was more so at my guys to make our guys respond to what I’m saying.”

David Aldridge, TNT analyst:Yes. There’s nothing Bryan Colangelo can do to deal with the nepotism charges that will surely come, but he’s established himself over the years as one of the better GMs in the league, and he’ll do a good job with the resources Sam Hinkie is leaving him: Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric, Robert Covington and a whole bunch of first-round picks in the ’16 Draft. I have no doubt the 76ers will begin to resemble the Suns of Mike D’Antoni (hey, isn’t that Mike D’Antoni on the Sixers’ bench?) in philosophy if not in personnel, at least just yet. A successful ’16-’17 season would have Embiid getting through the season healthy, Saric coming over from Europe and contributing, a rookie point guard (Kris Dunn Kris Dunn Kris Dunn) who could develop into something special and 25-30 wins.

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: Wonder of wonders, the best guy to take over the Sixers just happens to be related to the big-rep consultant they hired in search of a fix. I’m not big on nepotism, outside of Mom & Pop shops and Mumford & Sons, so maybe I’m a little too skeptical of Bryan Colangelo as turnaround artist. But heck, Philadelphia had to do something. In a league that has gone away from traditional post play, the Sixers have stocked up on big guys and still don’t have the proper trendy perimeter parts around them. Maybe Colangelo can parlay the roster’s assets into a better mix, maybe he has to embark on a rebuilding from the rebuild. Here’s a low bar for 2016-17 success: Try not to lose 60 games for a change. The Sixers have averaged 66 over the past three seasons.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Yes. Taking the baton from his dad, Jerry, Bryan has a solid track record and now he’s been left a cupboard full of very nice assets by the departed Sam Hinkie. A successful 2016-17 season is one where the Sixers get back into the business of actually trying to win and improve. More important than setting a bar at, say, 25 wins is getting Joel Embiid finally in uniform and playing, getting Dario Saric finally in the NBA, Jahlil Okafor growing up and making the most of their lottery pick in June, then convincing some veteran talent to take some of that huge money available under the salary cap join the cause.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Yes, good move. Bryan has the credentials to get past the claim that his hire was a nepotism pick because his father had a big role in the decision. I’m not guaranteeing a successful run as a GM, but I will guarantee he has credibility, is positioned to be successful and would eventually have been hired somewhere if not Philadelphia. There is no single definition of forward progress for Sixers fans. Getting to the mid-20s in the wins would be a good step based on what we know now, but I’ll hold off on that number until we have a better idea of the roster. For now, successful looks like a good outcome on the Okafor-Noel decision, Embiid finally getting healthy, adding at least one experienced contributor and encouraging signs from the 2016 lottery pick and Dario Saric as he comes from Europe.

Shaun Powell, NBA.com: Good move getting Colangelo, if only because he was the best among the unemployed. He’s a two-time Executive of the Year choice, so clearly he knows the turf, brings contacts and has had success. He’ll also reap the benefits of Sam Hinkie‘s pain, fair or not, provided he doesn’t screw up all the assets Hinkie left behind. A successful 2016-17 has a mature and improved Okafor, and a veteran addition who’s still in his productive prime, and a tight Rookie of the Year fight between Joel Embiid and whomever the Sixers take with their 2016 first-rounder.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: Time will tell. Colangelo has an eye for talent and put together the core that has set the Raptors’ franchise record for wins each of the last three years. But his ratio of good moves vs. bad moves isn’t necessarily better than that of Sam Hinkie, who was pushed aside because it took too long for his plan to come to fruition. A successful ’16-17 for Philly would include a young core that looks more like a team. The pieces need to start fitting together (there needs to be a playmaker or two to complement the frontcourt talent) and we need to see progress from Joel Embiid (he needs to play), Jahlil Okafor (he needs to defend) and Dario Saric (he needs to orient himself to the NBA).

Sekou Smith, NBA.com:Good move and potentially more than that, if Colangelo is able to craft a roster similar to the ones he put together in his previous stops. Success next season for the Sixers would include some tangible player development in youngsters like Nerlens Noel and Kahlil Okhafor and an actual Joel Embiid (in uniform and on the active roster) sighting. And, of course, whoever they use all of these assets on in the Draft showing up and making an immediate impact. The bar isn’t terribly high for Colangelo in his first season at the helm. No one’s asking for miracles. Just make the Sixers respectable and that’s more than enough for the first year.

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: It’s a fascinating switch. Hinkie was almost idealistic in his longterm approach; Colangelo lives in the here and now. If he has money to spend (or an extra big man to trade) and a good player is available, then the deal is going to be made. Success will hinge entirely upon the health of Joel Embiid: If he is healthy and dynamic, then we are going to be talking about the rebirth of the center position between him, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond. Because Embiid has the talent to change the outlook in Philadelphia – as Hinkie himself imagined.

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: I mean, I don’t think it’s a bad move. I understand that the plan was to bottom out and then rebuild, but they started from the bottom and they are still there. From afar, it would seem that Hinkie was pretty good at the obtaining assets part of his job, and perhaps wasn’t as good at the talent evaluation part of the job. He leaves the Sixers with a ton of draft picks and, basically, nothing but upside. Which is a nice place for Bryan Colangelo to suddenly find himself. I don’t know if Hinkie was planning on starting the rebuilding process in earnest just yet, but The Process is out the window. I think at this point, any measure of progress beats process.

April 6, 2016 · 9:26 PM ET

He took over a franchise that needed a facelift and proceeded to make every plastic surgeon in Beverley Hills jealous. Sam Hinkie spared nothing, especially victories, as he gutted the Sixers, cleared the salary cap and stockpiled draft picks in an extreme search to land a star and create a new foundation.

Well, a process that began prior to the 2013-14 season is still without an impact player but heavy on defeats, and winds of change last fall that created a changing of thinking in the front office ultimately chased Hinkie out of town.

He resigned Wednesday night, ending a reign of error — on the floor, anyway — and cited the scent of philosophical shift as the reason in the resignation letter, according to ESPN. Under Hinkie, this season the Sixers are assured of finishing with the worst record in the NBA once again, and they went 47-195 under Hinkie’s watch. his departure doesn’t come as a big surprise. Sixers ownership hired JerryColangelo last December to oversee the operation, essentially stripping Hinkie of final say in most if not all personnel matters.

In addition, Colangelo’s son Bryan is reportedly replacing Hinkie according to media reports. Bryan Colangelo served as an apprentice under his father in Phoenix, then served as GM there, then performed the same role in Toronto. Currently, the Raptors, sitting in second place in the East, have DeMarDeRozan, who was drafted by Colangelo; Kyle Lowry, whom Colangelo acquired in a trade; and coach Dwane Casey, hired by Colangelo.

While Hinkie’s philosophy earned many critics, especially when the losses multiplied and the Sixers failed to land the No. 1 pick in the draft or add significant help through free agency or trades, they’re flush with assets. Jahlil Okafor endured a somewhat troubled rookie season but is a talented big man nonetheless; injured big man Joel Embiid is expected to be healed in time for next season; Dario Saric awaits in the wings overseas; the Sixers will have the best odds of getting the No. 1 pick; and they own potentially seven first-rounders over the next three drafts, not including their own. In addition, their salary cap is free of heavy contracts and Philly will have ample room this summer, especially with the expected rise in the cap.

It’s very possible that the next GM will benefit from Hinkie’s work, provided that GM makes the right decisions with the assets in hand.

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1:Dragic out three games (and perhaps longer)— Injuries haven’t made as much of a mess of the Miami Heat roster as it did a season ago. To date, the team’s most-used lineup of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Goran Dragic and Hassan Whitesidehas logged a team-high 332 minutes together. Last season, that crew played didn’t play a single minute together. However, that continuity was disrupted last night as Dragic missed Miami’s game in Los Angeles against the Clippers. He was sent home from the team’s road trip due to a calf injury and things may be a little bleak in terms of his injury. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has more:

Amid a stretch when he had been playing his best ball of the season, guard Goran Dragic has been lost to the Miami Heat for at least three games and possibly longer.

Coach Erik Spoelstra announced after Wednesday morning’s shootaround at Santa Monica High School that his starting point guard was being sent back to South Florida due to a strained left calf sustained in Monday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.

Dragic, however, said a doctor in Los Angeles termed it “a bad strain” and Dragic he is anxious for the results of an MRI scheduled for his Thursday return to Miami.

“We don’t know yet for sure,” Dragic said. “We’ll see when I’m going to have the MRI and we’re going to know a little bit more. We don’t know. We cannot do the timetable.”

…

“I mean, it’s a frustrating, of course,” he said. “I want to be here with the team. It’s part of the game. Now the only thing I can do is do my part of the job, and try to get healthy as fast as possible.”

…

Spoelstra said the team’s training staff has narrowed the injury down to Monday’s second half.

“We looked a couple of different plays that happened last game,” Spoelstra said, “but it could have been on either one of them in the second half, one of them where he slipped on the baseline, another one where he took off. But it started to tighten up during the game.”

Dragic said treatment began immediately.

“After the game we did some ice. We did tests,” he said. “And just said as soon as we got to L.A. we were going to go and see the doctor for the ultrasound and we did.”

Dragic said it is the first time in his career he has sustained this type of injury.

“We did some treatments with ultrasound and tried to get the swelling out,” he said.

Now the question becomes whether the comfort built with Dragic will be lost, with the Heat to utilize Tyler Johnson and Beno Udrih in the interim.

December 10, 2015 · 8:18 AM ET

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1:Report: Scott’s job safe — After losing last night in overtime to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers’ fourth loss in a row, the Lakers dropped to 3-19 on the season, the second-worst record in the NBA. While it seemed likely that the Los Angeles Lakers, with their mix of youth and veteran talent, would probably have to be lucky to qualify for the playoffs in Byron Scott‘s second season as head coach, few people expected it to be this bad, this early. But according to Mark Medina of the Los AngelesDaily News, Scott’s job is probably safe for the season…

His star player has kept trying to fight Father Time with little success. His NBA lottery picks have accepted unexpected bench roles publicly, but admittedly expressed initial frustration.

He has also overseen the Lakers’ worst start in franchise history, a 123-122 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at Target Center marking the team’s fourth consecutive loss as the Western Conference’s worst team.

But Byron Scott still has enough support from Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and vice president of player personnel Jim Buss that he is expected to coach through the rest of the 2015-16 season, according to team sources familiar with the situation. With Scott signing a four-year, $17 million deal last summer, the Lakers plan to evaluate his future once the 2015-16 season ends, according to a team source.

The Lakers are not happy with the persistent losing, obviously. But Kupchak and Buss sympathize with Scott on handling what one team source called “a no-win situation.”

On one hand, Scott has felt pressure to handle Kobe Bryant‘s workload in his 20th and final NBA season. Scott remains mindful of Bryant’s struggles, averaging 16.2 points per game average on 30.6-percent shooting in 31.3 minutes per game. But the Lakers also want to play Bryant significant minutes out of reverence for his five NBA titles and to enjoy his farewell tour.

But out of respect for Bryant’s extensive accomplishments that have spanned five NBA championships and his current retirement tour, the Lakers have understood Scott’s tendency to lean on him heavily. They are also mindful of the challenge it takes to manage Bryant’s competitive nature. “I want him to enjoy this as much as possible,” Scott said of Bryant. “You’ve never seen him smile as much on the basketball court or talk to his opponents as much as he’s done the last two or three weeks. He’s at a very good place in his life and his career.”

On the other hand, Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell represent the Lakers’ long-term future after they selected them seventh overall in 2014 and second overall in 2015. Russell posted a career-high 23 points on 8-of-20 shooting in 32 minutes against Minnesota. Russell added 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting. But Randle and Russell both face learning curves with their development. Randle lacks consistency with his jump shot, while Russell has struggled on defense.

The Lakers have granted Scott the autonomy to coach his team without interference. But Kupchak and/or Buss will likely meet with Scott next week after the team’s eight-game trip to gain a better understanding of his thought process on how he will develop the team’s young players, according to a team source familiar with the situation.

***

No. 2:Thompson continues development — While the Warriors keep reeling off wins to start this season, Stephen Curry remains the headliner, drawing hundreds of fans each night just to see his warm up routine. But not far behind Curry in terms of popularity and skill is the Warriors’ 25-year-old shooting guard, Klay Thompson. As Thompson told Nima Zarrabi from SLAM, he’s continued evolving as a person while he keeps putting in work as a player…

Despite his heavy off-court demand, the goal has not changed for Klay. He wants to continue to transcend his game — he’s only 25 and knows there is still plenty of room for growth. He is excited about working with new Warriors assistant coach Steve Nash to add new wrinkles to his arsenal.

“I worked out with him twice when I was in L.A. and learned a lot about what I need to get better at,” Thompson says. “We didn’t even shoot the ball that much — we did a lot of technical work on things like balance. He’s still in great shape and really gave me some great pointers on how to play at a lower level and work on my balance so I can be in a better position to make plays. I know how good he is going to be for me.”

Thompson’s heard the whispers about teams attempting to mimic the Warriors’ style of play. The notion that teams across the League are planning to attempt more threes, play a little more “small ball.”

“People seem to think it’s easy,” says Thompson, who’s averaging 18.2 ppg through the Warriors’ ongoing and insane 23-game winning streak. “To play our style you really need to have five guys on the court that can shoot, pass and dribble. Not a lot of teams have that, you know?”

His growth as a player has coincided with his development as a communicator. Thoughtful and insightful, he has become a media favorite when it comes to snagging a quality quote.

It once seemed as if he despised having to talk.

“Ask anybody on the team, I said very few words here my first year,” Thompson says. “I feel a lot more comfortable around the facility and all the guys. Even with Bob Myers and our owners Joe and Peter — it’s easier to joke around with those guys being in my fifth year. But they really may have only heard me say 10 words my entire rookie year. It’s been a drastic change.”

***

No. 3:Melo not getting calls — Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has always played a physical style of basketball, which includes getting to the free throw line regularly. Except when he doesn’t get to the line: So far this season, Anthony is averaging 5.7 free throw attempts per game, a career low. And as Mark Berman writes in the New York Post, Anthony understands why he doesn’t get the calls he thinks he should be getting…

A candid Carmelo Anthony explained his recent frustrations at not getting enough foul calls, saying he’s been told by referees he’s the most “difficult player” to officiate and vowing he will never flop.

Anthony, who had received a technical foul in two straight games before the Knicks’ 106-85 destruction at the Jazz’s hands on Wednesday, was in a five-game slump with his shooting percentage dipping to 40.6 percent on the season. He admitted his wife, La La, chastised him for yelling at female referee Lauren Holtkamp in Monday’s loss to the Mavericks.

“They just tell me I’m the most difficult player to referee in the NBA,” Anthony said at the morning shootaround in Utah before going 3 of 11 on the night. “I’ve heard that a couple of times. It’s unclear on who is creating the contact. My goal is to go to the basket. If I’m creating the contact going toward the basket [and] I get hit, it’s a foul.”

Anthony is one of the most physical drivers in the game, but said he feels he’s recently not being effective because he’s not getting to the free-throw line.

“I always get fouled,” Anthony said. “That’s what’s frustrating me. You play so hard, work so hard and don’t benefit from that. You look at other guys, you touch them and look at them wrong and get fouls. It’s a frustrating thing for me as a guy who likes to go to the basket, play in the paint. I like to play physical. It’s frustrating.

“I’m human,” Anthony added. “Those frustrations kick in at times, especially when you’re down there banging and know you’re getting banged on. I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know how to play another way.”

So does he need to sell the foul more?

“See, I don’t know how to flop, that’s the thing,” Anthony said. “Nowadays guys know how to flop, get hit and put their head back. I don’t know how to flop. I won’t even look right trying to do that. I won’t even feel right trying it.

“A lot of times I get hit and I still continue to get to my spots just because I’m big and strong. A lot of guys get hit and they stop. I’m not saying they’re flopping, but they’re lighter than me. I can take a lot more physicality.”

***

No. 4:Jefferson suspended five games — The Charlotte Hornets have started to come together this season, winning three in a row and compiling a 13-8 record, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. But while their All-NBA center Al Jefferson has missed a few games with a calf injury, it was learned yesterday that he’ll be out a bit longer: The NBA announced that Jefferson will have to serve a five game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, writes the Charlotte Observer‘s Rick Bonnell…

“I’m a man and I have to take full responsibility for my actions,” Jefferson said during a media availability before Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat. “I have to ask for forgiveness and put it behind me and try to move on.

“Sometimes you’ve got to get knocked on your head for your eyes to open up; to handle certain situations.”

Jefferson said he was first made aware he had failed a drug test about two weeks ago. The league informed him and the Hornets Tuesday that the suspension was coming.

Jefferson becomes a free agent in July after the three-season contract he signed in the summer of 2013 expires. It is unclear how this suspension might affect the Hornets’ interest in re-signing him, but the team issued a statement saying it doesn’t condone Jefferson’s behavior.

“We are disappointed in Al’s decisions that led to this suspension. As an organization, we do not condone this behavior,” the team statement read. “We have addressed this with Al. He is regretful and understands that we expect him to learn from this mistake.”

This is the second time in as many seasons the NBA has suspended a Hornets player. Last season the league suspended small forward Jeff Taylor 24 games after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence in Michigan. Taylor now plays for Real Madrid in Spain.

Jefferson was arrested for driving under the influence in the winter of 2010 outside Minneapolis when he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves suspended him two games after that incident.

Jefferson declined to specify what the drug test revealed. A source familiar with the current situation said marijuana is the substance this time connected to Jefferson.

Based on wording in the collective bargaining agreement, a five-game suspension indicates Jefferson was likely already in the marijuana-related league protocol. Under terms of the CBA, a first violation places you in the league’s program. A second violation would result in a $25,000 fine. A third violation would result in a five-game suspension.

NEWS OF THE MORNING

No. 1: Rose a game-time decision vs. Warriors— If you’re not pumped about tonight’s Bulls-Warriors showdown in Oakland (10:30 ET, ESPN), you may not have a pulse. Undefeated and 13-0 Golden State squaring off against a Chicago team that, in its own right, has the look of a title contender, is enough to get most to tune in. Throw in a potential matchup between Warriors star (and reigning MVP) Stephen Curry and Bulls guard Derrick Rose and you’ve sold us on the game already. However, whether or not Rose actually plays tonight remains in doubt, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com:

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will be a game-time decision for Friday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) because of a sprained left ankle.

“He did a little bit,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said after his team’s light Thursday practice. “He didn’t do anything on the floor. It was all just warm-up stuff. So it’s still too early to tell if he’ll be able to go [Friday].”

Rose initially sprained the ankle during the fourth quarter of Monday’s victory over the Indiana Pacers, and he sat out Wednesday’s win over the Phoenix Suns.

“He’s going to try [to play],” Hoiberg said. “There’s no doubt about it. He wants to be out there. He wants to play. But again, we’re going to be smart with it.”

Rose, who hit an overtime winner last year in Oakland, California, to deal the Warriors a rare home loss, is getting a little more movement in the ankle than he did Wednesday.

“He was moving around a little bit more today,” Hoiberg said. “Just doing some lateral slides, but not with a lot of speed right now. He’ll get probably two more treatments today and get a couple [Friday] and then we’ll see where he is.”

The friction may come to a head, though, over Hinkie’s decision to select Kansas center Joel Embiid at No. 3 overall in the 2014 draft. Embiid was considered to have can’t-miss talent and upside, but was red-flagged by multiple teams that season because of back and foot issues that surfaced during and after his only, injured-shortened season as a Jayhawk.

Embiid was selected with the hope that he would follow the same pattern as (Nerlens) Noel, who was coming off an ACL tear when he was picked in 2013, and missed his rookie season (which helped the Sixers be bad enough again to land the Embiid pick). Noel was excellent as a rookie in 2014–15, especially as the anchor of a surprisingly decent Philadelphia defense. Hinkie certainly was aware of Embiid’s physical issues when he took a calculated risk to select him, but it’s unclear whether he understood the depth of Embiid’s attitude concerns, which have only worsened as a pro.

The fact that (coach Brett) Brown sent Embiid home from a West Coast road trip last season for being insubordinate to the team’s strength coach and training staff is well documented, but according to a source, the tipping point in the decision was Embiid physically threatening the strength coach on that road trip. According to sources, this followed a pattern of insubordination from Embiid during the rehabilitation of his initial foot injury that sidelined him for the entire 2014–15 season, where he would repeatedly refuse to answer questions from the training staff about his workouts and therapy sessions.

Embiid’s lax approach to his rehab and the circumstances surrounding the second foot surgery he needed this past summer — which appears like it will cost him the entire 2015–16 season — has caused the organization much anxiety. The simple task of getting Embiid to consistently wear his walking boot was a challenge for the franchise, and multiple sources suggested that some people in Philadelphia’s front office wonder whether a second surgery would have been necessary if Embiid had worn the boot as much as he was told to.

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No. 2:Why Monroe spurned Knicks, Lakers — Sometimes it really isn’t about the highest pile of cash. Sometimes it’s not the allure of Hollywood or the bombast of Broadway that turns a player’s head. Free agent Greg Monroe could have chased the cachet of the glamor teams in Los Angeles or New York over the summer, but wound up choosing the Midwestern charm of Milwaukee. Michael Lee of yahoo.com caught up with the big man for an insightful look at the decision:

I don’t try to make rash decisions. I just try to take everything into account,” Monroe said. “Most people say, ‘Dang, how could you pass up on all that money?’ I come from a family where you always make do with what you have, you work for what you get. And talk about a regular job. What was the qualifying offer? Over $5 million? Everything is relative and people are different, but I know how I was brought up and how I was raised. I was living perfectly fine throughout my whole rookie deal, so that was still a raise.”

Before free agency began, Van Gundy called Monroe and both thanked the other for how they handled an awkward season. Monroe had just grown frustrated with a franchise continually in flux. He played for five different coaches, had to adjust his game when Andre Drummond emerged quicker than expected, when the team added an odd fit in Josh Smith and again, when Van Gundy implemented a more wide-open system in which Monroe wasn’t an ideal component.

Monroe remained so confident in his eventual payday that he finally bought his mother her dream home before entering free agency. For Monroe, it was his way of making good on the pledge made in a card he gave for Mother’s Day after he declared for the draft. “The card read, I gave to him all his life, now it’s his turn to give to me and whatever I want, or whatever I need, I got it,” Norma Monroe said in a phone interview. “It was overwhelming. I stood there, bust out in tears.”

Milwaukee was always a special place for Monroe since it was where he received the Morgan Wootten Award as national player of the year before participating in the McDonald’s All-American game at the Bucks’ home arena in 2008. In his short time since joining the Bucks, Monroe has quickly taken to the city, purchasing an apartment with a view of Lake Michigan. When he sat down to dine at a restaurant recently, a fan thanked him for picking the Bucks.

“I’m not sure what he was thanking me for,” Monroe said with a shrug.

Monroe wasn’t running away from expectations in New York or Los Angeles; he was lunging into the type of scrutiny he long desired. The pressure won’t be solely on him to elevate one of the league’s rising young teams, but Monroe won’t deny that some exists. “I always feel like I have to deliver, no matter what. I know they’re hungry, and I’m starving to get to the playoffs,” Monroe said. “But coming here, they’re asking me to do things that I’m already comfortable doing. And a guy like me, I have a lot of pride. So I always have the mindset that I want to be everything they think I am. I want to be worth every penny, however you want to say it. That’s what drives me. This is always a great opportunity in my eyes. I try not to take it for granted.”

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No. 3:Harden plans to finish with Rockets — It’s difficult to find anything wrong with James Harden’s career these days. First team All-NBA, runner-up in the scoring race and for the MVP award. But just in case anybody had a doubt, the unstoppable scoring machine told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle that he plans to finish his career in Houston:

“I’m at a good stage right now,” Harden said. “Everything is flowing. Everything is what I imagined it would be. My family is great. Friends. Everyone is in a good place right now.

“Obviously, my work place is amazing, people I’m surrounded with, that I come to work with every day. I’m in a happy place. Fans here in Houston show me so much love and support. Everything is flowing in a positive way right now. I’m all smiles.”

That all begins on the court, where Harden is coming off his best season and said that despite his happiness with how things have gone, is hungry for much more.

“Always,” he said when asked if he is still has the same desire. “I’m the last one on the court. I’m still hungry. I have a long ways to go. I’m just getting started.”

As for where it will all end, Harden did not entertain a thought of changing anything. Comfortable as he is in the spotlight, he showed no signs of a pull from Hollywood for a return to his native Los Angeles. He had little reason to want to want to change.

Signed through the 2017-18 season, when asked if he intends to play the rest of his career in Houston, Harden did not hesitate.

“Definitely,” Harden said. “Definitely it’s going to end here.”

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No. 4:Anthony’s mind, body appear healed — Despite the injury problems that forced him to shut down the 2014-15 season early and despite the Knicks’ inability to sign a top tier free agent over the summer, Carmelo Anthony’s friends and teammates have been a star and leader in camp who is back in a good place mentally and physically, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:

“Carmelo is in a great place,” says one friend. “I think he’s going to have a big year.”

Anthony is the Knicks’ longest- tenured player as well as the club’s most accomplished. He’s also coming off two straight seasons without a playoff berth and understands that if he’s healthy and at the top of his game the Knicks could go from being a 17-win team to a playoff club.

Anthony has publicly acknowledged that the Knicks did not land a top-tier free agent over the summer but knows that team president Phil Jackson did upgrade the roster.

There have been several reports that if the Knicks were to struggle, Anthony may eventually seek a trade. (He has a no-trade clause and would have to approve of any deal.)

But Anthony is a long way off from trying to orchestrate a move out of New York. Instead, he has talked about leading by example and even said he wants coaches to challenge him more.

“I think it’s well documented that when quote-unquote best players and star players allow themselves to be held accountable, it makes it easier for everybody else to fall in line and accept the coaching and teaching that every player needs,” Derek Fisher said.

“I don’t think that’s any different from any other situation and it works the same for us. In terms of the difference in feedback, we came into last year and were very intent on making sure guys had everything they needed from us to try and help them be the best they can be on the floor. That intent hasn’t changed. We’re just trying to be as efficient as possible. Hopefully it will work for Carmelo as well as all of our guys.”

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No. 5:Kobe to sit out —When you’re 37 years old and entering your 20th NBA season, there’s no such thing as being too cautious. So the Lakers aren’t fretting about Kobe Bryant’s lower leg contusion, just being prudent in holding him out of tonight’s game against the defending champion Warriors, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com:

“He came out [Friday] and got some shooting up, but, again, for precautionary reasons there’s no need to have him try to play [Saturday] when we’ve got two more preseason games after that and six days before the start of the regular season.”

(Coach) Byron Scott further framed the decision as precautionary by noting Bryant would stand a better chance to play if Saturday’s were a regular-season game.
“I think if [Saturday] was a regular-season game, there would be a much better chance of him playing, but since it’s not, there’s no need for him to play [Saturday] night.”

Bryant’s status moving forward will depend on how he feels, Scott said. After Saturday’s game, the Lakers have a preseason game Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center and then face the Warriors again on Thursday in Anaheim.